It is common practice to use two workers between the output of a production line which forms flat, folded cartons from carton blanks by folding and gluing, and a strapping machine for applying a strap about a stack of cartons for forming a bundle. The production line provides a constant series flow of folded cartons in shingle fashion, where the cartons are inclined due to overlapping. As one worker moves an assembled stack to the strapping machine and exercises the necessary care for placing the stack in the machine prior to its operation, the other worker separates the flow of shingled cartons at the output of the line and forms the next stack to be bundled.
Various fully automated stacking stations are available. These machines are complicated, expensive and may require a relatively long set up time to undergo various adjustments in preparation for performing a run of cartons having different parameters than the cartons stacked in a previous run. It is typical for a production run to be 5,000 to 10,000 cartons with the output of the production line being 5,000 per hour. Thus, it will be appreciated that it is important to keep the set up time as short as possible for efficient utilization of machinery and personnel. These automated stacking stations include exotic features such as means for rotating the cartons forming the first half of the stack to be formed through 180 degrees and placing them over the second stack half so that the top surface of the stack is parallel to the bottom surface (to compensate for slight differences in thicknesses at the ends of the cartons). For further information regarding the structure and operation of such prior art stacking machinery, reference may be made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,474,521; 4,264,255 and 3,970,202 and German Patent No. 3,304,673.